How about when using the so called "silver solder" (94% tin/4% silver)? Wow, what a misnomer! Anyway, I used the Weller 40 watt voltage-regulated iron, and it didn't seem to work nearly as well as with conventional 60%Sn/40%Au. I'm thinking of upgrading to a 60 watt iron with the better temperature controller. Any comments? Thx
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Soldering
- Thread starter Bassman203
- Start date
...assuming that they both "work". I think he's looking for comments about one working better than the other, and if a hotter iron may help. ??
That might apply to me too. I've only been using silver bearing lead-free solder, so I might need a higher wattage for an iron. I'll get the one off of parts-express just to try it out since it's pretty cheap, and if I need a higher wattage, I'll get an 80 I saw at Ace
...assuming that they both "work". I think he's looking for comments about one working better than the other, and if a hotter iron may help. ??
With my point being, if tin/lead works better with the iron you have, use that instead of getting tin/silver and a new iron. tin/lead solder is cheaper than a new iron and you're not going to notice a single difference once you close up your instrument. The biggest reason anyone uses lead-free solder in electronics these days is ROHS compliance. (if you're not in compliance, you can't sell your stuff to europe)
Get .8mm, its easier to control the amount of solder with thinner bits of it and it doesn't soak as much heat up as fast..
Everyone one here seems to make this all out to be WAY harder than it is or that you need something WAY more expensive than you actually do. Soldering IS cheap and simple. Don't let theory and chemistry distract you from getting things done. You don't need silver solder for any reason (as applies to this thread), you don't need an expensive iron for any reason (though yes, it does sometimes make soldering easier).
So from your video it appears that if you tin everything, you don't have to use any more solder besides what you used for the tinning...you just heat up the components and allow the solder from the tinning to flow over the wires. Is that right? If that is the case then that would make it a lot easier I think.
Unless you have quite a bundle of wires coming into one spot (I would say more than 4), thats usually all that is required as long as you put enough down on the pot.
If you do have many wires attached to one spot, I highly recommend that you twist them all up into one, tin that and treat it as one larger wire.
If you do have many wires attached to one spot, I highly recommend that you twist them all up into one, tin that and treat it as one larger wire.
Cool, thanks. I also am going to use cardboard to hold the components in place like you show on your youtube vid...I am about to undertake my first attempt at replacing pots/pups so the info in this thread should be quite helpful.
You can take everything out of your bass, then trace the holes onto the cardboard. Eliminates a bit of risk to your finish, and makes life a bit easier. You'll still need to at least solder the jack up while everything is in the bass, most pickup leads will be long enough to still use the cardboard.
Cardboard is also a great way to keep the stuff you remove organized. Buy a set of numbered wire labels, or make your own, and number all your leads that require soldering/desoldering. You can put it all on the cardboard in mostly-working order, write any information you need like what number/label wire/pup/jack lead went where right next to the actual spot it went (as well as any info like model/serial#/date replaced/etc..).
Also feel free to draw the wiring on the cardboard before you actually put any wires down. Its a great way to take a schematic and turn it into something real without applying heat and/or damage to your parts.
When you're done, you throw it in your spares box and when you take it out again you're not wondering where the heck it came from and how it was hooked up.
Also feel free to draw the wiring on the cardboard before you actually put any wires down. Its a great way to take a schematic and turn it into something real without applying heat and/or damage to your parts.
When you're done, you throw it in your spares box and when you take it out again you're not wondering where the heck it came from and how it was hooked up.
